Is he gone for good?
by Cissa The Bookworm
Summary: A Merthur fic with a lot of OOC ness but it is really sweet. So please read and enjoy all my Methur bretherin.


_ Arthur,_

_I just can't take this anymore. I'm leaving Camelot for good. Don't try to come and find me, it will be a useless search. I can't take hiding and sneaking around just to be with each other. The stress is too much to bear anymore and with your father pressing you to get married to some fluffy princess makes it all worse. Please understand why I'm doing this, it is best for you. You will become a great king someday, I know you will. Trust yourself, I trust you._

_ I love you and the darkness is calling, it will be easier, trust me._

_Merlin_

Arthur read this in disbelief. So he read it again. One line caught his eyes, 'the darkness is calling'. He knew Merlin meant death. When he came to that revelation, his heat shattered like glass into a thousand tiny pieces, with no hopes of repair. He was sobbing uncontrollable on his bed, lulling himself to sleep by the sound of his sobs. So he did not notice the letter fall to the floor as he slumbered restlessly.

**o(x)o**

The next day came and Arthur never showed up for breakfast, not totally unusual as he ate in his room a lot of the time. But when he did not show up for training, Sirs Leon, Kay, and Gwaine started to worry. They had snooped around and found no one had seen him since yesterday. They went to Morgana and she was just as worried with that news.

"We should go check his room, he may be unwell." Morgana said

"But Merlin would of gotten Giaus." Sir Kay put in

"He would, but he went home to visit his mum for a bit." Sir Leon told Kay

The four of them went to Arthur's room and knocked on the door and got no answer. They debated and finally went on in to find an unexpected sight. Arthur was in his outfit from the day before, including the boots, rumpled hair, and he was facing away from them on his perch looking out the window. "Arthur?" Morgana asked

Arthur looked over at Morgana with his eyes on the way to being bloodshot, nose red, and tears staining his handsome face. He looked like he had been crying for a while and had been through hell.

"Oh, Arthur! What happened?" Morgana cried and hugged Arthur, who just sat there unmoving.

Leon noticed the note and picked it up, he read it with Gwaine and Kay reading over his shoulders. All three sets of eyes widened in shock at how Merlin seemed suicidal and that the two were anything but just friends.

Morgana had stopped hugging Arthur and went to read the letter, "Poor Arthur!" she exclaimed as she finished, "Poor Merlin!"

"Who knew that if Merlin left for good, _this_ would happen." Leon said

"It makes sense, if you think about it." Gwaine said, "Those two bickering like they do and how Arthur puts up with everything Merlin does. C'mon, we all know Arthur was an ass before Merlin."

"True." Kay said, "Hey, look…." He pointed at Arthur. He had pulled his legs up to his chest and he was resting his head on his arms.

They were about to try to get Arthur to talk, when Uther strode in, "Where is Arthur? He's supposed to be at a meeting with me and King Redroth." He asked Morgana

Morgana simply pointed to Arthur in his position by the window, "He received a not from the one he loved and they seemed to have thoughts of killing themselves because of their and Arthur's situation romantically."

Uther's eyes softened slightly, "Leave us." The four left, leaving Uther with his son. "Arthur?"

Arthur lifted his head to look at who was speaking, saw it was Uther and he frowned, and turned away. Uther's heart ached to see his son like this, in this hopeless state. "Arthur, do you truly love whoever left you this note?" Uther received a nod in return, "Then why are you still here, go after her!"

"That's just it." Arthur bitterly said

Uther's eyes widened in understanding, "If this is what their leaving does to you, I could not care less at this point in time. Who is it, Arthur?" Uther softly asked his son, "Wait, where is your manservant? Merlin, I believe." Uther heard a sharp intake of breath from hearing Merlin's name come from his son.

Uther put a hand on Arthur's shoulder, "Go after Merlin, don't be foolish enough to let him go. I'm seeing what his leaving is doing to you and we can't have a broken prince. Go."

Arthur stood up and hugged his father, "Thank you!" he whispered and he flew around his room, gathering a bag and rushed out of his room, Uther smiling after his lovesick son.

Morgana, Leon, Kay, and Gwaine saw Arthur rushing to the stables and they quickly grabbed a few things for a trip to find Merlin with Arthur.

Arthur was just finishing saddling up his horse when the four came up to him, "We're coming." Gwaine said. Arthur nodded and the small group headed out of Camelot.

**~(o)~**

The small group sat around a fire that night, everyone but Arthur quietly talking. Arthur just staring into the fire in a lost in memory way.

Eventually everyone went to sleep and soon they found themselves tracking Merlin's trail the next morning to a grove of ancient oak trees.

The group split up to search the grove in silence, being broken by Morgana's cry, "I found him!"

Arthur was the first to get there. He checked the boy's pulse. There was none, it was just Merlin's dead body resting under the ancient oaks.

His eyes started to water and his vision blured. His arms trembled and shoulders shook in silent sobs. He looked more broken than ever and it scared them to see Arthur completely breaking down like he was. They always thought he was some hard as stone, unbreakable person, he was nothing close at this point.

The four looked on, but felt it impersional, so they went to set up camp for the night, leaving Arthur to mourn for his lost love.

"No." Arthur whispered and a silent tear slid down his cheek and fell onto Merlin's body. It glowed a pure silver color and Merlin stirred. Arthur looked in amazement as Merlin opened his eyes. "Merlin. Merlin!"

Merlin ufed out a puff of breath as he was smushed against Arthur's embrace.

Back at camp, Morgana was sent to bring Arthur back to eat something. So she shouted in shock when she saw Merlin was alive.

The three knights came running and went into shock as well. They watched Arthur and Merlin share a kiss, it was sweet and spoke a thousand words about the love they shared.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Arthur whispered

"What? You thought you could get rid of me that easily?" Merlin said cheekily. Arthur glared, "I'm sorry!"

The two pulled closer together and hungrily kissed again, skin hot where it touched each other's.

"I think I want to puke it they continue on like this." Gwaine whispered to Kay, who hushed him.

Arthur and Merlin stood up, so the four rushed back to camp. The two lovers walked back to camp slowly, still drinking in each other's presence.

Merlin said to Gwaine right away, "And we'd be extra gross just to make you puke Gwaine." Gwaine looked horrified and Arthur just smiled evily at what they could do.

Gwaine and the others groaned, "Please don't!" Kay pleaded

"Yeah!" Gwaine whined

"But you should of seen him, Merlin-" Kay started until he saw Arthur's eyes flash murdiously in the firelight.

After supper, they set up tents because it looked like rain and Arthur and Merlin were the first two to crawl into their tent and go to sleep. The others looking after the couple.

"They are a perfect match." Morgana said

"Cute match." Leon agreed

Kay and Gwaine rolled their eyes and they all disburst to their own tents for the night.

**~(o)~ **

The next morning woke and Leon poked his head inside Merlin and Arthur's tent to take them. He smiled when he saw Merlin had his head on Arthur's chest and they both had their arms tangled around each other that would take forever to get up. "Arthur! Merlin! WAKE UP!" Gwaine came up behind Leon and yelled at them.

The two started grumbling and getting up, so Leon and Gwaine went on their way. A few minutes later the happy couple came out of the tent still looking tired and worn down from their little gallivant with death. Gwaine was the only one who had no sympathy for them at all. Except mabey a bit for Merlin since he actually died there for a bit.

The trip back to Camelot was rather quiet and the four had to watch it that Arthur did not fall asleep, seeing as Merlin had already passed out in front of Arthur a while after they left camp. When they finally did get back to Camelot, the looks they got were rather ones of curiousness at the strange state that the Prince of Camelot was in and the boy that was riding with him. But they decided that they would just leave be and figured they would find out later if it was important to anyone of concern.

Uther came out to meet his son and was amused to find that he actually fell off of his horse, while Merlin somehow managed to stay mounted. Morgana burst out laughing and got glared at by all the knights in the area. She rolled her eyes at them. It took two knights to drag Arthur back to his room and only one to take Merlin back to Gaius. Morgana went with Merlin and told the old physician to leave the poor boy and let him sleep.

**~(o)~**

The next day Merlin was summoned to Arthur's quarters. Merlin happily went to meet his love. The two hugged once the servant left and a few minutes later Uther appeared. He smiled warmly at both of them, they both looked healthy enough. The boys smiled back brightly and they knew everything would be alright for them to live in the love they shared.


End file.
